What distinguishes complex sentences from compound sentences?

Complex sentences are distinguished from compound sentences primarily by the presence of dependent clauses. A complex sentence includes at least one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses, which are not standalone sentences and rely on the independent clause to convey a complete thought. This structure allows for the expression of more nuanced ideas and relationships between different concepts.

In contrast, compound sentences consist of two or more independent clauses that are connected by coordinating conjunctions. Each clause in a compound sentence can stand alone as a complete sentence, which is what differentiates them from complex sentences.

The understanding of this difference is important for recognizing how various sentence structures contribute to clarity and complexity in writing.